The following invention relates to a juice extractor. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a juice extractor having an auger which drives fruit or vegetable sediment toward a grinding mechanism for pulverising the sediment to extract more juice therefrom.
Known juice extractors can comprise various rotatable mechanisms for extracting juice from fruit or vegetables. For citrus juice, the fruit can be cut into halves and each half pushed down upon a rotating conical/hemispherical surface. Such devices not only remove juice from the fruit but also mix in with the juice, the fibrous fruit particles and seeds. These particles are included with the extracted juice to be embibed.
It might be desired to provide a natural fruit or vegetable juice with a reduced quantity of residue therein.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a juice extractor in which fruit or vegetable sediment is better separated from the juice itself.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide and improved juice extractor that extracts more juice from fruit or vegetable sediment.
It is yet further object of the present invention to provide an efficient juice extractor for mounting temporarily on a kitchen bench.
It is a general object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above mentioned disadvantages.
There is disclose herein a juice extractor comprising:
an auger tube having an inlet for receiving fruit and/or vegetable pieces to be juiced and an outlet for extracted juice,
an auger rotatably mounted within the tube and driven from outside the tube to rotate,
a grinder at one end of the auger for receiving partly juiced sediment and grinding the sediment for extracting more juice therefrom, and
a ground sediment outlet separate from the juice outlet.
Preferably the auger includes a spiral formation having a pitch which decreases toward the grinder.
Preferably the grinder includes a grinding surface on one end of the auger and a grinding plate fixed within the auger tube, the grinding surface turning against the grinding plate upon rotation of the auger.
Preferably the grinding surface has a spiral formation and the grinding plate has a spiral formation in an opposite direction to the spiral formation of the grinding surface.
Preferably a residue outlet cap is temporarily secured to the auger tube.
Preferably the grinding plate is fixed within the residue outlet cap.
Preferably the grinding surface and grinding plate are substantially conical in form.
Preferably the residue outlet cap is substantially conical in form.
Preferably the auger tube has internal longitudinal grooves formed therein.
Preferably the auger has a splined end onto which a handle having a splined socket is received.
Preferably the auger tube includes a formation and the juice extractor also includes a base to which the formation is received.
Preferably the base is temporarily mounted upon a flat surface by a suction fastener.